| Silva Pais | |
| Office: | Governor of Rio Grande do Sul |
| Term Start: | 1737 |
| Term End: | 1737 |
| Predecessor: | Office established |
| Successor: | André Ribeiro Coutinho |
| Office1: | Governor of Santa Catarina |
| Term Start1: | 7 March 1739 |
| Term End1: | 25 August 1743 |
| Monarch1: | John V |
| Predecessor1: | António de Oliveira Bastos |
| Successor1: | Patrício Manuel de Figueiredo |
| Office2: | Governor of Santa Catarina |
| Term Start2: | 20 March 1746 |
| Term End2: | 2 February 1749 |
| Monarch2: | John V |
| Predecessor2: | Pedro de Azambuja Ribeiro |
| Successor2: | Manuel Escudeiro Ferreira de Sousa |
| Birth Date: | 25 October 1679 |
| Birth Place: | Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Death Place: | Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Nationality: | Portuguese |
| Spouse: | Máxima Teresa da Silva |
| Allegiance: | Portuguese Empire |
| Branch: | Army |
| Rank: | Brigadier general |
| Battles: | Spanish–Portuguese War (1735–1737) |
José da Silva Pais (25 October 1679 - 14 November 1760) was a Portuguese soldier, military engineer and colonial administrator in the Portuguese colony of Brazil.
He was involved in diverse situations in the disputed territories between the Portuguese and Spanish in the territory that today is the South region in Brazil. He organized the support for the Sacramento Colony during the Spanish–Portuguese War (1735–1737), and went head-to-head with his Spanish rival, Don Pedro de Ceballos Cortez y Calderón.
For the purpose of maintaining the southern territory in the hands of Portugal, Pais founded the city of Rio Grande in 1737 and projected and built the Fort Jesus Maria e José. That area was the object of the Spanish incursions commanded by Pedro de Ceballos, who invaded it twice.
On Santa Catarina Island, when it was in Spanish hands under the authority of Pedro de Ceballos, the Brigadier General Pais invaded and took the island for Portugal, placing himself as governor. He remained governor of the captaincy of Santa Catarina from 1739 until 1745.
He planned the construction of forts which would constitute the defense of Santa Catarina Island: in the north, Fortaleza de São José da Ponta Grossa, Fortaleza de Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim, and Fortaleza de Santo António de Ratones; and in the south: Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Araçatuba.